The Haunter of the Cavern
by TalionStormcrow
Summary: Diego's routine walk quickly turns into a frightening encounter with the utterly incomprehensible.
I wholly understand that my currently rattled state of mind has hindered my ability to relate what has occurred to anyone, and I have come to acknowledge that it is this state which will fracture and mar the accuracy and validity of the events.. Despite this though..

I'm going to tell you a secret.

You can't tell _anyone.._ not even Shira.. If you do, I will eat you.

I suppose I am telling you this only because my own mind has been of no help in determining whether or not this entire ordeal had been a concoction of my own mind or a solid, horrific event.. Indeed my ability to comprehend what had transpired within those couple hours is hindered by the still lingering horror. It has also come to my attention that isolation has become a formidable solution to the problem as my own family would most likely look upon this as downright ridiculous. I don't keep this from them out of distrust, but for protection.

The horrendous event which had left me to question my own sanity at the time began with something so simple and friendly. I had woken up from a rather peaceful sleep save for the not so much loud as annoying snoring coming from the less than mannered sloth, who I call my friend, ally, and family. Although angered by the rude awakening, I quickly found it as a fine opportunity to stretch and go for an early morning walk, to witness the sun rise in blushing yellow over the towering hillsides of the island seemed like a quaint idea, and I indulged myself.

I rolled over to find my.. MY mate, my love.. My life, sleeping soundly next to me. Being up close to her I had the privilege to feel her warm, hearty breath hit my face, warming it up for but a second. I took a moment to look upon this perfectly sculpted specimen, a fine example of nature's work which has been gratefully gifted to me, and I to her. Shira is her name, and she is perhaps the most beautiful saber I've ever met..

Anyway..

Placing a light, loving kiss upon the crest of her head I successfully managed to sneak my way out of the den and out into a world blossoming wildly around me. I was blasted-overwhelmed I should say with smells coming from all over. The smell of the dew was the first and perhaps the most dominant of smells, filling my nose with a sweet, wet odor. The wind was very slight, giving my body a quick cooling chill as I adjusted to the temperature, minding the fact that the sun wouldn't reach above the mountains for another hour. I stretched, letting out a small stifled roar as my muscles expanded and contracted with my movements, several popping noises escaped my body as well and indicated a well placed rest.

With a quick start I jogged my way through the thick forestry which was acquainted with a surrounding early morning mist, attempting to arrive on the trail I had discovered while on one of my first expeditions of Hyrax. It was obviously an old one, most likely an old trade route created by one of the many species here now partially overgrown and abandoned. It's my favorite as it is the most direct path receding from the noisy herd life, giving those who travel within a glimpse of what isolation truly sounds like.

Within a few hours of walking I had finally come across the start of the path and was more than happy to take it upon myself to travel it. I will admit that it's windy paths and quick turns tend to make it a bit tricky to traverse, even for me.. But I've gotten used to taking the good with the bad and dealing with it. The high climbing Redwoods gave the path a silky, shady look, partially blocking out the sunlight save for miner fragmentations of light escaping the green net of leaves above me. It truly is a sight to behold, a wondrous natural beauty capable of taking the breath out of any traveler willing to take a moment and study it.

This path has always surprised me with its beauty. You will never turn a corner to find nothing. Whether it be a bird flying just low enough to capture prey, giving you a first hand look at nature at work, or a giant waterfall roaring in the sky as it's endless pounding water works tirelessly. I cannot stress how wonderous this place is..

Speaking of waterfalls, what I'm about to tell you may be... Shocking. If you would spare but a moment of your time I'm sure what I have to say will surprise you.

What I tell you is the truth.. All of it.

In the end, what you believe is yours to decide.

* * *

I managed to turn a corner after several hours of preliminary sightseeing along the trail I was enticing myself with. The corner was a slim path snuggled aside a slab of rock climbing up the side of a cliff. I have never explored this area before and... I can't even seem to find the same area at all. I've traveled back there time and time again, following the same path as I remembered it.. But to no avail.

After rounding said corner it was immediately brought to my attention that this place was much cooler, and the air itself was cutting to my nose, making it burn with every breath. Around me lay an outspread of diverse trees, each one thick and teeming with leaves. I also noted an awkward silence omnipresent among them, with no signs of life anywhere. This was quizzical to me, as right before turning here I was surrounded by them, listening to an endless array of bird songs on my way. It struck me as odd, and I decreed that further investigation was necessary.

In front of me was presented a display of massivity. A waterfall which dominated the scene dumping gallons upon gallons of water every second, quickly filled my sensitive ears.

Before you say it.. Yes, I would still be able to hear the tiniest pebble drop on the ground even with the waterfall.

I was instantly drawn to it's natural beauty, staring at its massive scale, hypnotized. I couldn't recall at the time any other moment where such a thing was found along this part of the island. I was watching it blindly when I caught a glimmer of something behind the water, a sort of black hollowness as if there were a cave hidden behind this monstrous being. I proceeded with caution, figuring that at any moment I could be caught by surprise and attacked, so I kept myself ready for anything.

The feeling of the water lightly hitting my fur as I passed the rushing water gave me a slight chill that traveled across my spine, increasing my focus somehow. It seemed that whatever I was going to encounter in that cave I was ready for... I was wrong..

The cave was dark, and the air was dense. I could feel myself grow weary of whatever was in here, as my instincts flared at the smell of something foul, much like that of a rotten corpse of an animal eaten and cast aside. I felt my stomach lurch at said smell, and was taken aback by the disgusting scent. There was something else too. I felt it, like an eerie overcast of vibration constantly attacking me, alerting me of a presence. I moved in, cautious of any and every single rock and pebble the moved. If anything was here, it wasn't getting away so easily.

I slowly walked towards the back, the roar of the waterfall had become a ghostly echo now, bouncing off of the monstrous walls of this enormous cavern. It wasn't easy attempting silence in this place, and it seemed the darkness was beginning to betray me as well, as my vision wasn't enough to see in the pitch blackness which lay ahead.

I was about to call out, when I heard a sudden loud cough ring out. I (DON'T TELL ANYONE I SAID THIS...)... Jumped, surprised by the sudden explosion of sound in the near silent cavern. It dawned on me that this place was occupied, and began to make my way out. I turned, still aware that silence was difficult to accomplish. I was inadvertently surprised once again by the sounds of shuffling, like a lazy shuffle of something attempting to get up and move around. I couldn't see anything, and decided that telling my mate I picked a fight with another animal while going for a leisurely stroll was less than favorable.

I was.. Interrupted. Not violently, it wasn't an aggressive act presented to me.. More pitiful in retrospect. I heard several pops in a rhythmic pattern resembling that of walking as this being began making its way towards the light, and was partially relieved to find that the latter wasn't the case, it was a Dire Wolf. In fact, if it tried to attack I'm sure I would've had no problem dispatching it, as it gave off a less than pleasant smell and looked sickly, as if it hadn't eaten in days. It's face was elderly, and horribly scarred, bearing no resemblance of a healthy wolf.

It stood, completely naked and cast in hauntingly vague rays of light. I could see through its thick, matted fur the indentations of bone poking through, and the same could be said about it's ribs. This truly was sickening to me. If it asked of me I would've gladly put it out of its misery.

I attempted contact, first by offering a slight friendly smile and asking if this was it's den.

No response was given to me. Instead I was perturbed by its glassy, bulging icy blue eyes- which seemed to stare into none other than my own soul. I felt violated, unwelcome in this place; not much of a surprise since I'm obviously the stronger one.

I addressed it formally, given that I was an uninvited guest and the younger being, I figured that respect was an automatic and acceptable feat given our already awkward acquaintance. I once again asked if this was it's den, but was once again ignored. Not completely it seemed, for a low, weak whine escaped the wolf and seemed to be addressed not to me-

But to something behind me.

I turned, and could feel the awkward tension in the place begin to rise. Not surprisingly there was nothing behind me but the waterfall which only moments before was roaring deafeningly. Back here though this was not the case, it seemed to block out the entire thing, giving way to silence. I turned back, expecting the wolf to either pounce or leave to go back to whatever it was going before, but found it still sitting in the same position... Staring. I wondered to myself if at any moment during this encounter the wolf even blinked.

I figured that I wasn't going to get much out of this animal, and lost interest. I bowed my head in respect, told it that I was going to leave immediately and made my way towards the mouth of the cave. Before getting far into that plan however, a high pitched whine once again was emitted from the dumb wolf, and a strange out-of-place muttering was accompanied. It frightened me enough to stop me, and I froze half a step later.

Now it dawned on me two possibilities: The first was that this wolf is toying with me, which seemed to be arguable given the fact that it was the only thing I could smell in here. The second was contrary, that there were other entities here which I have been unable to detect. The second possibility raised alarms, for the question raised was of a more serious type:

What if this is a ruse to catch me off guard?

I quickly turned around, facing the animal, meeting it eye to eye. My patience was wearing thin, and I didn't want to fight if I didn't have to. I once again made contact, using a more direct but not dominating tone to ask if there was anyone else here.

The wolf glared at me. I began to wonder if dumbness was the case, that this pitiful creature couldn't talk. I knew it could hear me though, it's ears flicked with a sort of mocking interest towards my voice. Needless to say, after a few minutes of waiting the dumb animal nodded.

My hair raised up, and I could feel my heart begin to race. It confirmed the presence of another bring, but what it was I couldn't say. My eyes began to race as well, frenetically scanning the area for any foreign movement not attached to either me or this wolf, but was only met with pitch black. I realized that if anything were here, it would be behind the wolf in the blackness, and I can tell you that every instinct in my body screamed for me not to go back there. The idea of running began to seem like a good idea, but for some strange reason still unknown to me, I didn't.

Thunder began to crack outside, giving way to a severe and chilling thunderstorm which quickly filled my ears with the sound of pounding rain upon the stone just outside, and the sound of water upon water as well. It was at this moment I realized that something was off, as I had it in my mind that just a half an hour ago now it had been sunny with barren skies. Lightening flashed, filling the cave with fragmentated light. It cast itself sharply along the walls, giving no formidable shape.

My mind began to wander, giving way to horrible conspiracies of the unimaginable sort. If this was a dream, I begged someone to wake me up. If it was a prank (which seemed unlikely, Crash and Eddie couldn't come up with something like this.) Then please, end it. I was about ready to kill someone.

The wolf in front of me began to curl it's lip in a crooked, wild and mad frown. I thought for sure it was going to burst into to tears for a reason I could not discern, but this wasn't the case. Instead, I watched as this dumb, aged animal moaned and turned its back to me in the darkness.

It wanted me to follow it was my inference, and I indulged it. I tailed the creature, against my better judgment. It led me to the very back of the cave, and as the lightening struck I began to get a glimpse of what lay back there, and was horrified by what I can now describe as utter decay. The smell of rotting something filled my nose, and I had to quickly hold my breath just to stop myself from vomiting, occasionally exhaling to take in more of the smell as I had to breath.

Although I couldn't see it, the lightening flashed along the walls, and I was given small bits and pieces of visuals to piece together like a puzzle. The severe storm had become my ally in the most terrible way, giving me the ability to see what I had come to find out was better left unseen.

The wolf stood at the very back, and the smell, added with the occasional whine escaping it, was all but appalling. I wanted in that moment so badly to just give up and run, to forever question just what sort of thing was present in that unforgiving darkness was all the more appealing to me.

A flash of lightening struck perfectly, and the image bestowed has and still scars my mind. Laying down on a cold slab of rock was a horribly mangled body. Within the millisecond flash I could see the flesh decayed, food for the thousands of things that slithered and shook inside of its body. It was unrecognizable, but the wolf seemed to claim it as a possible family member. At one point I thought I could feel the things crawling on me and in a panic began to slap at my own body in an attempt to get them off!

I couldn't take anymore. I turned around to run, but was met with a mad, wide eyed stare, enveloping my view. I jerked and with another flash found it to be the same wolf, bearing its teeth in a snarl only va few inches from my face. For a moment I could see that whatever teeth it had were rotting away. It's breath smelled of death, and my eyes began to water from the putridity.

I scrambled, I didn't want to fight due to the poor visibility, so I pushed it out of the way with my shoulder. With a terrified gasp I not only managed to get him out of the way, but felt something _collapsed_ , with several snaps I felt my shoulder break bones and squish up against what I could only think to be organs. I tried to pull back quickly, but my shoulder was stuck between the bones, and in an attempt to separate myself from this thing I used my free paw to push on whatever I could. After a couple seconds, the bone broke and my shoulder was freed, but the shock was quickly brought on from the encounter.

With quick withdrawal I ran out, never looking back. I could clearly hear the mournful moans of the wolf as I ran away from him.. From such a horror which should never be given such exposure, and the reasons for showing me such a thing are even more obscure.

Since that day I had never been able to find that place again, never able to find the tracks of the wolf nor any sign it ever being in that area. Locals have even told me that the only wolves in the area were located to the East, twenty miles from that location. When asked about the waterfall, I was only given puzzled looks...

Even now as i tell you this.. Though it puts me at ease to vent it I have still come no closer to understanding just what happened.. But I can tell you that none of it was possible. That rotting, stinking stench which accompanied the decaying corpse.. And whatever it was that I pushed.. Clearly bone is not so fragile..

Unless the bone itself had decayed.

Which leaves me with an even more chilling question of whether or not what had happened were even real.. If for some strange reason my mind had pulled a trick, sending me into a mess of hallucinations and horrific apparitions surrounding darkness which does not isolate itself from the unknown. The smells themselves have not let go of my memory, and the sight of those two icy blue eyes remains, and sometimes...

I can still see them clear as day while walking that path through the woods. I can still hear the moans of that apparition, that haunter in the cavern.. like I said, what you believe is yours to decide. You can discount this as a crazy tale, a concoction of my own mind in an attempt to rationalize some sort of horrid nightmare, but even if this were a nightmare.. Why didn't I wake up to my mate?

 **An isolated event that came up in my head. I wanted to do something with Diego for this genre, so I gave it a try. You're welcome to tell me how it came out! I love criticism, and can take it and every review I get is helpful.**

 **As for my other fics, they're still in the works so don't worry! :)**


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